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NJ/NA/Sysmac Studio - Improvement Request

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Could we please add a pinned subject to THIS forum??

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1. Faster switching between NA/NJ environment. 2. NA symbols NEED to be HostName.SymbolName and not the concatenated name SS assigns. In fact, it's a pain that it needs separate names at all. Makes serial machines with different CPU names impossible. 3. Ability to dynamically disable or change visibility of a button in its properties rather than resorting to VB. 4. Online operations (going online, offline, online edits) are too slow. Compare to cxp to quantify this. 5. IMHO only published variables should appear in the NA variable list. Too cluttered. 6. Support TIME data type in NA 7. Access the comments field of ENUMs in NA 8. The names entered in the Safety environment/safetyIO/node-xxx/Parameters should ripple through to the IO map automatically. Not sure what I'm entering tbh. Pp

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I agree eith you in most of the topics. Please consider NA is very new device, so will for sure improve. Regarding online edits, which cpu firmware are you using? I see very difficult to be faster than cxp online edit, cj series is interpreted code, NJ is compiled studio online edit modifies sorce, builds the compiled and transfers both. Why compiled code? It is necessary i.e. To speedup plc code. NJ is 8 to 10 times faster than the fastest CJ2H

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For the NA HMI: 1. The ability to view or modify NA variables 'live' in simulation without the need to hit a VB breakpoint. Way too restrictive. 2. The VB engine is not properly integrated yet. Some properties you cannot access, some don't show up on Intellisense, etc... 3. Basic stuff like not being able to change the background colour of certain controls, or vertical align text cannot be done. 4. A test involving some VB code and media player runs OK in simulation but does not work on the hardware. I'm sure it will get there, but it isn't ready yet IMHO. Apparently (I'm told) a big update for the NA is coming in October, but no idea if this is just for the Sysmac Studio editor or if it is for the NA firmware too.

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Parrafin: #2 would require the PLC to make all its data into a structure. What's wrong with PLCNAME_VARIABLE it uses now? Your version isn't any shorter. #3 is wrong. There are 3 tabs of configuration for every item. Properties, Events, and Animations. Visibility is easily set on the Aminations tab. #6 also wrong, time is supported. There is a complete list of variable types and their VB counterparts in the manuals. #7 currently the NA has no access at all to enumerations. #8 safety is a totally separate CPU. I know others have asked that the safety variable names from the NX side be copied to the NJ, and I agree. I also have heard the next release of Sysmac Studio will improve the NA greatly, though I have not been provided any details. Officially the NA isn't launched in North America yet, I happen to see an early release.

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Parrafin: Nice list. Agree with you (ideally) for #2, but at least is quite easy for me as is. Agree with Crossbow for #3 so think this is already supported for you. #5 I actually prefer like it is: a) One less setting to make correctly in the NJ, before flipping back to the NA, and when not finding it in NA flipping back to NJ to check etc etc. It just knows what is in the project. b) The NJ itself then NEVER has any variables set to Publish, means that the data is protected against accident/cyber attack. Once you make EIP variables accessible there is no control (on any vendor!!) over who can actually read (and or write) those variables. BB. P.S. I see the next updates with more improvements were released 30th Oct

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1.11 does address many things with the NA Series. It also does quite a bit to speed up some portions of Sysmac Studio, like project import and export. It also comes with an updated firmware for the NA terminal, which will update automatically the first time you connect online. Nice that it will update, as firmware in the PLC does not.

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1. Ability to edit the short cut keys and command keys. 2. ability to completly code without the mouse. ie: as oposed to drawing in new line across multiple contacts and selecting the drop down contact type could we have a way of drawing the lines using short cut keys is is all nice for desktop people with mices sitting down at a desk but when you are standing up with a laptop in one hand at a machine it can be a bit tedious switching from mouse to keys (bring back the old - and | keys to draw lines). 3. return key or other key to jump down to the next line as aposed to pressing home right to jump to the start of the line then w for example to add a new contact on the next line. 4. use of space key to insert _ when typing in a tag automatically. 5. ability to scroll the programming window down or set the white space below code as you are allways working at the bottom of the screen once you code fills up the window. 6. ctrl+ shift+ right , ctrl + shift + left etc. 7. step step next ? 8. keep instruction i think it is bad programming to use set reset in its current method but maybe that is just me?, i guess a function block to act as a keep to iliminate duplicate outputs in code is on the cards for me to create . 9. program name in pou allows you to type a name in with a space (which is illegial) and it compiles but does not show you where the error is and took me ages to figure it out. 10. when entering a function block in to ladder when you press the enter to jump to the next variable through to the end and you press it the last time it jumps back to the first string on the block so it just goes round and round the block, but on a contact it moves to the wire after the contact ready for the next contact coil etc... Edited by professor_jonny

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Not going there - I am happy with CX-P and the CJ2 series!

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They are releacing a EIP version of the NX slice remote I/O next month in europe and we will follow later on that will give you ultra cheap expansion to the CJ series like the NJ any way. I just did the NJ traning and it is an impressive PLC and software suite. The base model and it is the price of the mid range CJ2 and whips it in spec, it looks like we will be looking seriously at it. but sysmac seems it is aimed for mouse orentiated programming, I can see how people will be reluctant to change as there are things that are different and will take a bit to get your head around.

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To re-iterate a request made in another thread: Please add the ability to force internal bits, and not just physical I/O. It's annoying to keep online editing test bits etc, and then removing them when you are done. I was hoping the latest update would address this, but sadly not yet.
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For the NA: Unless I have missed it: Alarm Viewer filtering. (e.g. show only alams from a specific group.) Edited by Andy_P

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Another for the NA: Ability to use NJ enumerations.

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NA: Data entry events for the DataEdit control. Access to DataEdit Max & Min limits in VB. Allow dynamic specification of Max & Min limits in the properties page instead of just fixed values. Edited by Andy_P
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There are many things which should be adjustable via VB which are currently not. I know they plan to expand NA capabilities, and from my discussion with the local guy there have been numerous suggestions sent to the developers. Another version of Studio should be right around the corner, so I expect there will be some changes there. I think they also need to explore putting a screen number in, and having a system variable where the screen displayed can be changed. I know I can set an event on a screen to write a number to a variable, so I can fake a screen number. But I can't make it load a new screen without a bunch of code.
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+1 for this. The screen name is available as a String in _HmiCurrentScreen (or something like that). Maybe a NJ STRUCT could be automatically created as screens are added?

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I just used an action on each screen to write a number to a variable, as I indicated. But it doesn't allow me to change screens, just set a number for which is displayed. Not without a bunch of script.

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You can link the NA system variable "_HMI_CurrentPage" to an NJ global, and write the name of the page you want to switch to as a string. But I agree, a page number would be way better.

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Sysmac Studio/NA: Access to an installed SD card via FTP. Print to image option for documentation. Tabbed pages or frames. (Like the NS screens.) Edited by Andy_P
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Please allow the replacement of a 6 port junction slave module in the EtherCAT network designer without having to delete everything connected to it and starting again. By mistake, I have added a GX-JC06-H to my network instead of GX-JC06. I now have to delete everything and start again. This is hugely frustrating and time consuming!

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Hello If you add the correct junction slave, the nodes can be dragged onto it from the erroneous one; no need to delete and the IO mapping is maintained. Pp

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There appears to be an issue with the 6 port junction slave being added to the current network if one currently exists. The 3 port junction slave, however, can be added without issue. I've attached a picture that shows this. This could be a bug unless I'm not understanding the application of junciton slaves to the network.

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The 6 port junction slave appears as if it were qty 2 of the 3 port units when added to a network. Therefore, it takes up 2 node addresses (node 1 and 2 in your drawing). There are indeed 6 ports, x1 is connected to node 3 and X2, X3, X4, X5 and X6 are not connected in your drawing. The above drawing looks correct.

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SFC/Grafcet - CJ2's have this and it's great. NJ and Sysmac are awesome compared with CX. But not having SFC is a pain. 

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Just thinking, can we like delete/archive this thread since the pinned one is already exist?

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